Written by The Patriots Press on 01 December 2014. Posted in Dining Out

Hungry? Craving outrageously yummy?!

I have to say, I had the lunch of lunches today in Boynton Beach, FL.

Now mind you, this place will never be on the prescription pad of your Cardiologist…cause mountains of yummy melted cheese, savory barbequed pulled pork, and Cole Slaw, all grilled up between two thick slices of buttered bread and called a 'grilled cheese’ is not going to please a dietician. But for real, who cares what some health nut quack has to say? I’ve tried healthy eating…didn’t make my taste buds dance.

Howevuh...I love me some good old fashioned yummy food, and I found it today. Oh yes I did!

All one has to do is take a drive to the intersection of Gateway Blvd. and Congress Ave. in Boynton Beach, Fl. and you will find a little place on the SE side called 'Melt.’ By the way, if you don’t live in So. Florida, no problema. All you need to do is buy a plane ticket to Palm Beach International Airport, rent a car or take a cab, and find this place. IMHO, it is worth the plane fare just to have lunch. Really…I think prisoners on death row will start requesting last meals from this place before long.

I’m even going to suggest that "The Donald” should probably stop by some weekend while his plane is being prepped up the street at PBI.

Okay, enough fluff, (I don’t get free meals for doing this)….but I think by now you get that I liked this place a lot. I had the "pulled pork” sandwich off the regular menu, my friends had the BCT, (a bacon and cheese something or other that didn’t stand a chance with either Hamida, Neil, or Carmine) and we all shared the "Disco Fries.” I really have no idea why they don’t just call them "insanely yummy, get your own/these are my gravy and cheese soaked fries,” but whatevuh. Anyway, don’t leave without having them.

My friends, there are a whole lot of dining choices at that intersection and in that area of Boynton Beach. But I’m here to say that while 'Melt’ just recently opened and this is the only location for right now, they need to start opening locations all over the place. This first spot is going to have lines out the door every day once people try it even once.

I give them all five of my Stars for qualify, price, and service. Don’t even think of eating lunch elsewhere in Boynton Beach.

You’ll find them at 1880 N. Congress Ave. in Boynton Beach. Their phone is 561-806-6635, and you can visit their website here.

During the past several weeks, I’ve been spending a lot of time down in Miami Lakes, and as a result, I’ve had the opportunity to check out some of the local eateries in the area. Generally, if you stay away from the fast food chains and visit the places with all the trucks parked nearby, you’re probably going to be in for a treat because of the heavy Cuban and Hispanic influence in the area, and they really know what to do with food. I’m happy to report that I found such a place. Two actually, but just one that I’ll describe today.

Yarumba! It sounds like a hot, steamy, Hispanic Salsa Dance; and I’m here to say, the food is as satisfying as such a dance might be. Located about a third of a mile west of El Dorado Furniture on the south side of SR826, (aka NW 167th St. and Palmetto Blvd.) Yarumba is a great place to eat before or after you visit my friend Gustavo Perez at El Dorado Furniture to find something new to add to your Casa.

The first time I visited Yarumba, I opted for the Sancocho Dominicano, (Dominican Soup). When it arrived and I saw the size of the bowl, I started wondering how many others might be joining me because you could almost swim in it. Glad I didn’t though, because this soup was just amazing with chunks of Yucca, delectable Beef, (I swear it was Oxtail) and several other veggies swimming in a broth that, while it wasn’t what I’d call spicy, it politely woke up my taste buds. The accompanying dish of white rice added nicely to an already smooth body and texture of the broth.

Several of us decided to visit again the other day, and they just out did themselves. While I considered another round of the 'Sancocho,’ I remembered that the Sopa de Pollo, (Chicken Soup) had also looked inviting, so that is where I went on this visit. I’ve had Chicken Soup before, good Chicken Soup I might add; however this has to be some of the best Chicken Soup in Miami. Delicious, loaded with veggies and a ton of chicken, and the ever present side of rice was mui bueno. One of my associates also ordered the 'Mofongo’ with beef dish, which among other things had plantains in the mix. At his urging, I sampled it; now I don’t really speak Spanish, but “Mofongo” must translate to delicious, because this was 'to die for’ yummy. The only 'problem’ with it was that I wanted a whole lot more of it, pero; no ai tiempo. Next time I’m in the area, you can bet where I’ll be having lunch or maybe dinner.

And no discussion of this establishment would be complete without mentioning the staff. All of them excellent; however our server Lupe, was a sweet and attentive as she is drop dead gorgeous.

The combination of generous sized servings, delicious food, and terrific staff earns Yarumba all 5 of The Patriots Press Stars.

They are located at 4740 NW 167th Street in Miami, FL 33014 and their phone number is 305 622 9700.

The other evening, I attended a meeting with several friends and when it was done, a few of us decided to grab a quick bite to eat at a local outdoor mall, so we drove to the new Delray Marketplace in Delray, FL.

If you haven’t been down the Marketplace since it opened last spring…ya gots to. Everything about it is very eye appealing and inviting, and I can’t wait to check it out around the Holidays.

Anyway, we all parked and looked around at the various offerings. Burgers, Pizza, Asian Fusion; decisions, decisions. While I’ll readily admit that I do have some favorites; pizza, burgers, and bacon being among them, ask any of my friends and they’ll tell you that I like pretty much anything and am usually satisfied just hanging out and relaxing over a beer or a glass of wine with friends.

Anyway, we decided that Terra Fiamma looked worthy of our time and money. It offered warm and welcoming open flame lanterns, a humongous protecting umbrella, and there was ample seating available.

Mind you, we arrived around the 8:30 time period and the day was winding down for them, i.e., they weren’t real busy. In fact, we were among the 20 or so patrons in the entire place that I could see.

Written by David DiCrescenzo on 16 December 2012. Posted in Dining Out

Travelling as I often do, I find myself in lots of different restaurants in different cities. On Thursday evening, we stopped by Charley’s Steak House in Tampa, FL. Entering this establishment, one is immediately caught up in the inviting, rich wood paneling and aromas dancing around the foyer.

Not really hungry and thinking only of having a glass of wine or two and maybe an appetizer, we proceeded to the enormous bar area. I have to say; whoever decorated Charley’s knows what a Steak House should look like.

Sitting at the bar, we were quickly greeted by veteran Bartender Kristian. Kristian is as polished as he is knowledgeable and helped us in the selection of our wine…a 2002 Opus. After carefully uncorking it, he proceeded to strain the contents into a breathing carafe to remove any sediment that may have been present. The wine was delectable, and we shared a bit of it with some nearby diners. One of those, my new friend Maria, agreed that it was indeed very good.

So, I found myself way down on Cape Cod the other day and was visiting a town I hadn’t been in for perhaps 30 years…Osterville; the Wianno section to be precise. By the way, before I tell my tale of dining this day, I have to tell you that when Patti Page sang “Old Cape Cod” back in the 50’s, she had to have just visited Osterville. The shops, little restaurants, and beautiful vintage homes that line the streets leading to the very quaint center of town suggest a quieter, simpler time; when a bottle of soda cost a nickel, neighborhood corner stores still had pickle barrels, and for ten cents you could get a bag of penny candy that would keep any kid happy and quiet for a day.

Anyway, I had some time to kill and was a little hungry, so I figured that I’d have an early dinner and grab myself a slice or two of pizza and a coke.

As I was nearing my final destination, I saw what looked like a decent local pizza joint and started to venture in, and then I noticed a little seafood place just to the side of it that was advertising Clam Chowder. What can I say, I’ve always liked to try the different chowders here and there in my travels, and of course Cape Cod is famous for it, so I opted to have the chowder instead of the pizza. Mind you, just because one is on the Cape or in the Boston area doesn’t mean that every place you get ‘chowdah’ is going to be great. Just like anything else, some places do it right, some not so much.

When I walked in to the Osterville Fish Market, it looked about the same as most; a counter for placing orders with a very inviting display of fresh fish and specialties right next to it, that made me tempted to bring something home. After briefly considering ordering a plate, I decided just to have a pint of chowder. So I ordered it and off I went down to a very scenic beach to hopefully enjoy my chowder. I want to mention for a moment that I’ve always been a fan of the chowder served at Kelly’s Roast Beef up in the Boston area and have used them as a benchmark up to this point...